as in shrimp
a person of no importance or influence
the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names
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Recent Examples of insects
Keeping your deck free of pollen, nests, insects will increase its longevity.
—
Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 14 Apr. 2026
Layering creates a landscape that is both visually and biologically rich, feeding birds and beneficial insects alike.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Apr. 2026
Researchers counted the number of insects — including bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, and beetles — that visited the reproductive features of the flowers.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Wet leaves welcome insects and disease.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Pair bonding — two animals forming an exclusive, long-term partnership — is almost unheard of in insects.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
But what makes this finding remarkable is that pair bonding is almost unheard of among insects.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026
According to the Candor Pest Control website, insects are attracted by food, moisture and nesting locations.
—Hali Smith
april 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2026
The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 14 Apr. 2026
Layering creates a landscape that is both visually and biologically rich, feeding birds and beneficial insects alike.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Apr. 2026
Researchers counted the number of insects — including bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, moths, and beetles — that visited the reproductive features of the flowers.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Wet leaves welcome insects and disease.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Pair bonding — two animals forming an exclusive, long-term partnership — is almost unheard of in insects.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
But what makes this finding remarkable is that pair bonding is almost unheard of among insects.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026
According to the Candor Pest Control website, insects are attracted by food, moisture and nesting locations.
—Hali Smith
april 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2026
The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
Noun
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As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
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The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Hughes is one of the world's top lightweights in MMA, the sport where McGregor built his following and name.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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Where else could award winning writers pop off about nothing at all, and nobodies could rattle the ivory towers?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Dodgers’ $850-million annual revenue dwarfs competitors like the Diamondbacks at $324 million, exemplifying the financial gulf driving owners’ desire for cost controls.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Beyond rock and ice The finding of L 98-59 d challenges the long-standing astronomical belief that small exoplanets must be either gas dwarfs or water worlds covered in ice and oceans.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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